Futuregenerations
should be inspired to understand the lessons
of the past and their impact on today's
world.
The One County One Book essay contest is
designed to encourage students in grades
9-12 to do research and to learn the significance
of events, social issues and human actions.

Purpose
of the Contest

The
purpose of this essay contest is to encourage
the examination of important issues and
topics presented in a work of literature
(Homer Hickam's book, Rocket Boys).

Judging

Essay
submissions will be judged on style, content,
grammar, and originality. Judges will look
for clear, concise writing that is original,
articulate, logically organized, and well-supported.
Winning essays must demonstrate a comprehensive
understanding of the themes and issues presented
in Rocket Boys. The judging will
be done by a local panel of librarians,
educators and editors.

In
order to be a finalist, the essay must meet
all the conditions stated in the "Organization
and Mechanics" section below, with
only incidental errors in mechanics. The
essay must also meet the assigned minimum
length and be submitted in the following
prescribed format.

Organization
and Mechanics

1.
Spelling will be correct. Syntax will be readable. Punctuation
will be conventional.

2. The essay will be free of sentence fragments.

3. The point of view will be appropriate to the
topic/subject and will remain constant and consistent.

4. Footnotes and references must be included
where necessary.

5. Essays must contain a minimum of 500 words
and no more than 750 words.

6. You must submit a clear, clean essay prepared
using a word processor (computer) or typewriter. Text
should be printed in black ink, double-spaced and single-sided
on 8 ½ x 11-inch white paper. A common font such
a Times New Roman or Arial must be used in a font size
12. Margins must be one-inch wide on all sides of the
paper. Do not illustrate entries with pictures, diagrams,
or other graphics.

7. Submit only original copies of the essay.
Carbon copies, clippings from newspapers and periodicals,
or other duplications are not acceptable.

8. Do not put your name or the name of your school
on any page of your essay entry.

9. Fill out the entry
form completely. NOTE: All information must
be typed or printed except for two items, your signature
and your teacher's signature, under the statements confirming
originality.

10. Home-schooled students must submit their
entry in a single envelope; school teachers may package
all essays being submitted being together in one envelope.

11. Winning entries cannot be returned and become
the property of the Beaufort County Public Library System.

12. All essays must include at least one primary
source. Examples of primary sources include books, magazine
articles, scientific journals, and interviews that you
have conducted. Encyclopedias (electronic or hardbound)
and general Internet Web sites are NOT primary sources.
Essays that utilize sources only from general Internet
Web sites and/or encyclopedias will NOT be considered.

EXCEPTION:
Full-text articles from DISCUS, NewsBank
and similar online databases of periodical and reference
information ARE acceptable, if correctly cited as electronic
resources in the essay (See #14). Material from online
ENCYLOPEDIAS (Grolier, Britannica, etc.) are NOT acceptable,
however.

13.
All essays must be free of plagiarism (as normally defined
AND as defined below): ALL sources must be cited in
the text of the essay. ALL word-for-word information
written by someone else must have quotation marks enclosing
the quoted material, and the quoted sources must be
cited. All summaries (paraphrases) from other sources
must be in the student's own words. No summaries may
be used if only minor word structure changes are made,
or if you substitute only synonyms for words in the
original source.

14. A bibliography of works cited should be appended
if necessary. Follow your teacher's instruction on the
bibliographic style to use.

15. Your entry must be postmarked no later than
May 10, 2005. Entries postmarked on a later date
will be disqualified from the contest.
16. The judges' decisions are final and binding.
17. Winners will be notified by May 20, 2005.

Eligibility

Students
in grades 9-12 who are regularly and currently enrolled
in public and nonpublic schools or who are home-schooled
and at the grade level between 9th and 12th grades may
submit entries.

Essays must
be submitted by a high school English teacher on behalf
of the student, along with a cover letter on school
letterhead. The cover letter must include the details
described below.

1. Date
of essay submission

2. Student's full name

3. Student's address (and e-mail and home telephone,
if available)

4. Student's grade level (9th, 10th, 11th, or
12th grade)

5. Name of high school

6. Address of high school

7. Name and daytime telephone and e-mail of English
teacher submitting the essay

All essays
submitted without a cover letter on school letterhead
(that includes all the above-mentioned details) will
be disqualified. The Library will not return incomplete
submissions.

Submissions
for Home-Schooled Students

Essays must
be submitted by a parent or legal guardian on behalf
of the student, along with a cover letter with the parent's/legal
guardian's return address information that certifies
that the student is home-schooled. The letter must include
the following details:

1.
Date of essay submission

2. Student's full name

3. Student's address (and e-mail and home telephone,
if available)

4. Student's equivalent grade

5. Student's age and grade level (9th, 10th,
11th, or 12th grade)

6. Name of the students' parent/legal guardian
(and daytime telephone number and e-mail, if available).

All essays
submitted without a cover letter on the parent/legal
guardian's letterhead (that includes all the above-mentioned
details) will be disqualified. The Library will not
return incomplete submissions.

How
and Whereto Mail the
Essays

Please mail
all entries to the following address through the United
States postal service:

One
County One Book Essay Contest
c/o Beaufort County Public Library System
311 Scott Street
Beaufort, SC 29902

Entries should
be mailed at the "First Class" (or equivalent)
postal rate to assure prompt delivery. The Library assumes
no responsibility for items lost in the mail, or for
the claiming of entries mailed at the "Certified"
or "Registered" postal rates.